This was really cute! I enjoyed the juxtaposition of a career woman who worked for a environmentally-unconscious conglomerate, trying to balance doing the right thing for her community, but also doing what she personally needed to do to meet her goals and thrive.

There was also an underlying story of friendship and reconciliation, which I loved to read about.

This is a quick read - and a perfect cozy book for the fall!

This book was a joy to read. It's a fun, heart-warming story of friendship, second chances, and personal growth with healthy dashes of humor and small-town charm. Some of the details are a little far-fetched but the story is relatable and you'll be able to picture this town and these characters. A big focus is the planning of an autumn apple festival, so this would make a perfect fall read. Highly recommend!

Thank you to @sourcebooks and @netgalley for the electronic ARC!

Lauryn Harper has always struggled with partial hearing loss in one ear. Over the years, she’s learned to compensate—until an awkward elevator conversation with a company higher-up goes sideways. Unsure exactly what happened, Lauryn finds herself abruptly demoted from the D.C. headquarters to the Ryser Cares office in Greenstead—a far cry from the corporate center of power.

Reluctantly sent back to her hometown, Lauryn finds herself leading a ragtag team of misfits assigned to this out-of-the-way branch. Together, they set out to use their unique skills to help the revitalize the town and send a clear message to Ryser: no more empty promises.

This David vs. Goliath premise intrigued me, but unfortunately the execution fell short. The tone reads more like young adult fiction, with several characters too timid to speak up for themselves. Lauryn’s “eight-year plan” strains believability, and I had a hard time reconciling her apparent naivety with the level of authority she supposedly held in public relations for a major food corporation.

Perhaps I’m simply not the intended audience, but for me, the potential of the story was lost in its shallow character development and unrealistic setup.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark, and author Shauna Robinson for the advanced copy of the book. I Know How This Ends is out on September 16th. All opinions are my own.

The life Lauryn Harper has planned falls apart due to a misunderstanding. She finds herself demoted and working at an outpost of her company in her hometown. Not where she had ever hoped to be again. Enter redemption in the form of her once best friend who wants her company to reactivate the town’s fall apple festival. Out of the ashes of her downtrodden coworkers, a team develops with a goal. Lauryn is hoping the success of the festival will get her old job back.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Lauryn Harper Falls Apart was not what I expected. I guess now that I have finished reading it, I am not sure what I expected. This is also my first Shauna Robinson novel. This novel is about going home again, reinventing oneself, second chances, resilience, and a reminder not to give up on life. Lauryn is an unusual heroine, and I doubt she would describe herself as such. She is sent back to her small hometown to spend time with a group of fellow employee misfits. I suspect that Robinson's message is that there is hope for all of us, no matter how badly we screw up. That doesn't mean Lauryn is any more likable than her similarly rejected co-employees, most of whom are actually more likable than Lauryn initially thinks.

Robinson does a nice job of describing small town life and the desire many people have to escape to a larger city with more opportunity. Lauryn should have done a better job of choosing an employer. No one should be embarrassed to explain where she/he works or how awful the job and employer actually is. Lauryn Harper Falls Apart explores friendship and how small towns actually have something to offer, if only there is time and opportunity in which to do so. The big question is does Lauryn learn from what happens to her? Readers will need to decide.

Lauryn Harper Falls Apart is a plot that will be familiar to many readers, film buffs, and TV series groupies. The mustard flood was a new event to me, but much of the rest of the novel did seem quite familiar. I was enjoying this novel until I got about 60% through it, and Robinson seemed to lose focus. Fortunately I kept reading, since in the end Robinson created quite an enjoyable way for everyone, including the small town, to thrive and enjoy their lives and friends, yet again. The lesson for all involved was don't put your life in one small basket.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC to read and review. I suspect Robinson fans will enjoy Lauryn Harper Falls Apart, and so will many other readers.

3.5 = 4 stars

this book had so much depth and wonderful scenes to it. the plot was so layered and had all the moments we went from a book that give light and deeper moments in their perfect balance. it also has that dry humour i love so much. anyone that does that comic timing well, for me hits bonus points already and this book certainly had that. i loved getting to know the characters and plot in equal measure and was totally invested from a very short while into reading. by then i new i would be putting this down and it was the perfect book to read in front of the fan in this heat!
this book had a little something extra special about it that the romcom i thought going in and im truly loving it for that.
Lauryn was a great character. so real, sometimes messy and totally relatable in her reactions and some of the things she was feeling and reacting to.
the side characters all held their own sparkle within the plot and i could equally love getting to know them better too.
what i also love is how love feature so heavily in friendship in this book. that made it have my whole heart. it was love, true love but not the usual one we are given. and dont get me wrong romance is romance is romance is wonderful for a reason lol. but this once again like other part included in this book has that extra bonus because of its inclusion.and it still gave me all those feel good moments you want and need. all those moments that books like this do so well and are so important to the book world. heart warming moments that do the soul so much good. and in our world right now i have never been more grateful for books like this one.
i couldn't have loved my time with this book more. it was exactly what i needed right now. its a book that will lighten your heart and you will find so many smiles through reading it.

Lauryn Harper Falls Apart is a quaint story about a woman who’s escaped her small town to build a life in DC, but through a series of unfortunate events, is forced to return home. I’ve read several of Shauna Robinson’s books, but this was unfortunately my least favorite. I didn’t particularly care for the FMC Lauryn as a character for most of the book, and while I understand this is supposed to be humorous (I think) I found several plot points to be silly rather than funny. The incident that sets the story in motion is particularly nonsensical.

I did like that the central relationship conflict was between former best friends, and wasn’t romance related.

Thank you to netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC.

If you like Hallmark movies you will like this book.
The first chapter was ridiculous and almost made me not want to read the book. I do think another reason for the transfer should have been made but anyway once I got past chapter 1 it was a really quick cozy read.
The group are like the island of misfit toys, there are attack Geese, caramel apples, mustard, and a fall festival within its pages.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ So good!!

Some books feel like they find you exactly when you need them—and Lauryn Harper Falls Apart was that for me. As a teen mom who’s had to hold everything together while quietly falling apart inside, I saw so much of myself in Lauryn. Her journey isn’t perfect, and that’s what makes it perfect—it’s messy, vulnerable, and achingly real. Shauna Robinson writes with a kind of honesty that doesn’t sugarcoat the hard parts of life. She captures the exhaustion of carrying the world on your shoulders while pretending you’re fine, the quiet moments of doubt, and the small victories that mean everything when you’ve been through hell. This story reminded me that breaking down doesn’t mean you’re broken forever—it can be the first step to rebuilding into someone even stronger. Lauryn’s resilience, even when she feels lost, is the kind of strength you can’t fake. By the end, I felt like I’d made a friend who understood what it means to keep going when you’re not sure how. Shauna Robinson, thank you for creating a character who feels like she’s been sitting at my kitchen table, listening to my story and telling hers right back. This book is a gift, and one I’ll hold close for a long time.

Timing will be great for the release of this novel, as it has lovely small town fall vibes. A cute read, but I sometimes found the main character a bit too unlikeable. Good but not great.

i really enjoyed this one!

although lauryn could get a bit frustrating and messy with how willing to self sabotage she was, it also made her feel more like a real person than just a character in a book. it made her human and relatable, and that's all i could have asked for from a main character.

with that being said, i wish the side characters had been developed a little bit more. i know there's a plot we need to focus on, but these side characters were so integral to the plot and it feels like we hardly got to know them outside of their jobs.

the pacing and the writing were easy to follow and pleasant to read so i'll definitely check out more of SR's work. a girl is invested. i am a girl.

╰┈➤ dnf at 24%

thank you soo so much to netgalley and sourcebooks for this arc.

release: sep 9, 2025

I feel so sad dnfing yet another book but with an ever growing tbr and a sorta-semi-slump i really don't want to push through books that I can't realistically see being enjoyable.

I just can't settle for... forgettable. yk?

lets start with what I liked: this book was cute. it had fall vibes which I love. the little timeline between lauryn and her childhood best friend was actually so nostalgic and cute.

however....
lauryn was delusional. her 8 year plan was unrealistic, her mental dialogue was annoying and childish and she acted like a toddler. just all her decisions were so- ugh. I feel frustrated just thinking about the way she behaves.

if I was in a good reading mood and getting through 3+ books per week I could see myself having finished this but it's taking me so long to get through books as it is, without the book being mediocre.

****Publishing September 9, 2025****

Lauryn Harper’s job is not going as planned. She gets demoted and the job lands her back in her hometown. Now she has to grapple with both scenarios. What will she discover? Can she get her life back in the direction she wants?

An entertaining read that is about friendships and new beginnings! Sometimes you have to step back to figure out your path forward. This is exactly what happened to Lauren Harper! A great book for book clubs as it will lead to many great discussions!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Shauna is an auto-buy author for me and this title will be no different! Shauna's dry humor comes through and has her signatures of found family and FOOD. I think it's relatable to so many people and I hope that everyone can resonate with the themes of this story.

I really enjoyed this one! I loved the camaraderie and team mentality of the characters. Yes, a little syrupy and sweet. But no romance, which I loved very much.

A heartwarming, thought provoking read. This reads like a small town rom com, just without the romance. It’s more focused on friendship, personal development and rediscovering what is important in life. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and would recommend.

Title: Lauryn Harper Falls Apart   
Author: Shauna Robinson       
Genre: Fiction   
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Lauryn Harper had a plan. A high achieving, perfectly constructed, five-year plan. But after a (totally blown out of proportion) mishap at work that plan is put to the test.

As punishment for her mistake she is transferred to the Ryser Charity Department, a branch of her corporation that just so happens to be located in the hometown she abandoned long ago - the same hometown that her powerful corporation is responsible for running into the ground. Horrified at the thought of returning and facing those she left behind (one in particular keeps coming to mind), Lauryn quickly comes up with a new impress her boss enough that she's briskly whisked back to her big city life. 

However, it soon becomes clear that sticking to plans isn't that simple, especially when her ex-best friend enters the charity department demanding they help revitalize the town by throwing the famous Greenstead Fall Festival. Confronted by her past wrongs, Lauryn immediately agrees to host the festival on Ryser's dime, but soon enough Lauryn is swept away in town hijinks, chaotic planning committees, and a second chance at a childhood friend that shows her why home isn't necessarily a place she has to run from.

Lauryn kind of got on my nerves for 2/3rds of the book. Very selfish and self-centered, and she flatly refused any hints of self-awareness that tried to sneak in. Greenstead itself was like all my small-town nightmares come to life, so I can see why Lauryn originally wanted to get out of Dodge. I found the reasons all the misfits got shuttled off to the back of beyond to verge on the ridiculous, and the idea of the mustard accident seemed a farce, too. That being said, it was nice to read a novel strictly about second-chance friendship, with no hint of romance in sight, and the writing was soliod.

Shauna Robinson lives in Virginia. Lauryn Harper Falls Apart is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of SOURCEBOOKS Landmark | Sourcebooks Landmark in exchange for an honest review.)

(Blog link live 9/3).

Lauryn Harper Falls Apart is a heartfelt and relatable story about identity, reinvention, and finding your voice when life doesn’t go as planned. Shauna Robinson writes with warmth, honesty, and just the right touch of humor, making Lauryn’s journey both emotional and empowering. I was rooting for her every step of the way. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A charming, offbeat story about second chances, and not the romantic kind

Lauryn Harper Falls Apart is a cozy, comical small-town story that dares to skip the romance arc—and somehow, it works beautifully. Instead, the focus is on rebuilding a childhood friendship, redefining what success means, and finding one's way back to oneself after losing sight of what truly matters.

Lauryn is ambitious, flawed, and deeply relatable as she’s forced to return to her mustard-flooded hometown (yes, really) after a corporate mishap derails her perfectly planned career. What unfolds is a heartfelt, sometimes hilarious attempt to revive a dying town, an apple festival, and a fractured sense of self—all with the help of an unexpected “Ryser Cares” crew and her once-best friend, Marina.

The story shines in its emotional depth without ever getting too heavy. It’s sweet, a little corny in the best way, and full of lovable, misfit characters that give off strong found-family vibes. Big kudos to the author for writing a biracial, partially deaf protagonist with such care—representation like this matters.


The ending was tender and satisfying, and Lauryn’s journey left me feeling surprisingly nostalgic and seen. If you’re craving a feel-good read with a fresh spin on the "coming home" trope, this one’s worth picking up.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I wasn’t sure how this book would go but I have to say I absolutely loved it! Easy reading, relatable topics with having a job and a less than great workplace, all while navigating old and new friendships - chef’s kiss! Lauryn was very likeable and had me giggling throughout the book. She’s such a relatable main character and her struggles are things we all can understand. I was so eager to see how she worked with Marina given their history. This book had a lot of feel good moments despite the hardships of being employees at a company that doesn’t seem to value them at all!